Vincent van Gogh (Sunflowers), Henri Matisse (Red Studio), Rembrandt van Rijn (Self Portrait).

Love is Blind. oil on canvas. 11 x 14 inches. 2011 - 2012.

2012. New Years day. This is the year that the world is going to end. 2012. But the more we move forward the more things seem to stay the same.

Last night I was working on a small painting in my kitchen. I was about to watch a movie. But a fellow artist and friend (Daniel Nadeau) stopped over to say hello. So we had tea and painted together in my kitchen.

Ten days ago I moved my oil paints into my kitchen. It is the first time I have painted inside my home is 15 years or so. It is so nice to sit down, in a warm place, relax, drink tea, and have a toilet near. Having a toilet or bathroom is a pretty massive thing. It can get pretty complicated without one.

While painting I was thinking about some of my favorite artists: Vincent van Gogh (Sunflowers), Henri Matisse (Red Studio), and Rembrandt van Rijn (Self Portrait). Vincent's Sunflowers holds a significant stage in art history for it uses a yellow background with a yellow foreground. Vincent's love for yellow inspires me greatly. When you look back at Rembrandt and his use of browns.... and then Vincent's love for yellow.

Color is so important. Henri Matisse (Red Studio). Red paint. A painting all about red. As artists we need to think about our love for color. Our love for art. And I wished to thank these artists for inspiring me so much.

Over the Christmas holidays I had many large canvases made. So there will be many paintings. For the past two months I have been dreaming about Red. The blood inside my heart... Red. Red. And more Red. I will paint a RED painting very soon.

Henri Matisse (Red Studio)

Rembrandt van Rijn (Self Portrait).

Vincent van Gogh (Sunflowers)